Custom Doggy Doors |
No Comments →
Let me spend a few words talking about what *I* have and how I use it with my two little mutts.
First, I’m not a big fan of not making permanent modifications to my house when I don’t have to. That includes anything that wouldn’t be universally used by someone who would buy the house from me and live in it. As useful as it is, a doggy door is not a universally used item like a light switch, storage shelving, plumbing, cabinetry, and so on. So when it comes to doggy doors, I’m a bit fan of both the window doggy doors and the patio panels.
What I actually have is a custom-made patio panel for the slider on my house that leads out to the back yard. I have it in the basement since my house was built on a hill and has a walkout basement foundation. As such, it is somewhat out of sight, out of mind. I could have taken this to mean that I could get the ugliest, cheapest panel I could find, but I took it in a different direction. Since it isn’t in the every day living area (near the kitchen, for example), we’re not going to see it every day and won’t necessarily notice if something is wrong with it. As such, I wanted something high quality and maintenance-free.
The panel was built with a wood frame to match the casing around the existing slider. It has double-paned glass on the top to make it as energy efficient as possible, and the doggy door itself is actually an electronic version with a transmitter on a collar that my pooches wear. The panel was build such that the pet door could be installed into the lower part of the panel the same way it would be installed into a regular door.
So to be correct, my doggy door is a hybrid patio panel and electronic access door.
Was it the cheapest doggy door? Not really. But it was something that was in my budget and I had the resources to construct at a fairly reasonable price, so I did some of the install myself, and had the frame built by a professional. I highly recommend this route if you’re able. It’s really the best of both worlds.
Type of Doggy Doors |
No Comments →
This is a relatively new category of doggy door that has become enormously popular in recent years. It offers one huge benefit that all other passive pet doors lack: selective operation. You see, the problem with passive pet doors is that they open for anyone who wants to push on them. That means other dogs, other cats, raccoons, kids, squirrels, and on and on. Most people generally don’t want those things in their house, they just want their dog or cat to come and go as they please.
Enter the RFID industry. Some marketing genius decided to take RFID, which is a mature technology, and pair it up with a dog door, which is another mature product. The result is a sweet little unit that recognizes your pet and only opens for them. No more neighborhood dogs wandering in your house and getting into your garbage.
The doggy door can be mounted in a wall or just as easily in a door. The package comes with a small transmitter on a collar that your dog wears, and when the transmitter gets in range of the door, it opens up. what a joy!
As part of the very slick control circuitry, the receiver on the door can tell how close the collar is, and also what direction it is traveling in. So if your dog is walking parallel to, or past the door, it won’t open. If they are walking directly at the door it will obediently open and let them in.
The door can also be set to only open on detection from either side, meaning you can set the door to only let your dog out or only let it in. That’s a nice little customization if it’s a nice day and you want your little mutt to play in the backyard and come in when they please, but not go back out.
These are the best things going on the market today. Don’t be afraid to buy one - you won’t regret it.
Type of Doggy Doors |
No Comments →
This type of pet door is usually used for cats, but I have seen many applications where it has wokred very well for small dogs. There are a surprising number of houses that actually have ground level windows, or windows low enough that a spry little mutt can jump up into it.
As you can tell from the picture, this unit fits intto the window, much like the doggy door patio panels. You open the window where it’s going to live, put it in place, and close the window on it. And there it lives. Panels are usually adjustable over a certain width, somewhere between 2-5 inches, so you do have to measure your window to make sure it will fit the width and the heigth!
For enegery purposes, look for double paned glass or at least a “Low E” glass with a coating on each side to reduce heat transfer. The type and quality of the actual door will vary quite a bit as well. The high quality ones will last much longer and be much more energy efficient.
The price range that I’ve seen for these pet doors is anywhere from $350 plus to less than $100. Obviously, you’re going to see a difference in the quality of materials (fit, form, and finish) in the lower priced ones, but that doens’t mean they aren’t well-suited for the job! There’s no need to go spend a small fortune on a doggy door if you don’t need to. Find something that will suit your needs and go from there.